September 11, 2001 Timeline

7:59 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston's Logan Airport.

8:13 a.m. The last official communication between American Airlines Flight 11 and ground controllers occurs and the transponder stops transmitting. The hijacking occurs at about this point.

8:14 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 takes off from Boston's Logan Airport.

8:20 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 begins going off course.

8:20 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 leaves Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.

8:42 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark Airport.

8:43 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 is hijacked.

8:46:26 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center with an estimated 10,000 gallons of fuel and traveling 470 mph.

8:50 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 begins heading towards New York City.

8:55 a.m. President Bush is notified of the first crash and replies, “What a horrible accident!”

8:56 a.m. The last official communication with American Airlines Flight 77 occurs and the plane's transponder is turned off. Presumably the hijacking occurs at this time.

9:02:54 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 hits the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes.

9:06 a.m. President Bush is notified of the second crash, but remains in the school classroom in Florida where he is doing a photo-op for his educational policies.

9:16 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 is probably hijacked about this time.

9:17 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration closes all New York City area airports.

9:21 a.m. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closes all bridges and tunnels in the New York City area.